NASHVILLE, Tenn. (MNPD) – coordinated effort by Special Victims detectives, Entertainment District Unit officers and license plate reader technology led to the arrest of a Chattanooga man Friday following the May 4 aggravated rape of an 18-year-old college student. Joseph Farmer, 36, was identified as one of two men inside a Jeep Grand Cherokee as it left a downtown parking garage at 10:15 p.m. with the victim.
The victim, who was visiting Nashville with a friend, told detectives that she believed she was drugged at a Broadway bar prior to any interaction with the suspects. She told detectives she remembers being sexually assaulted by both suspects while they drove around in the Jeep used her credit card at an ATM.
LPR technology assisted detectives in determining the Jeep’s path of travel and in identifying Farmer and Trevor Casteel, 27, also of Chattanooga, as the two suspects involved.
Eventually the suspects allowed the victim access to her phone to coordinate a drop off location where she met her friend and returned to Kentucky, where the victim attends college. The victim filed a report with Special Victims detectives the next day.
On Friday night, Entertainment District Unit officers observed a narcotics transaction on 4th Avenue South. Both suspects fled from officers. Farmer, who was quickly apprehended, had multiple baggies of drugs and cash on him at the time of his arrest.
Farmer was charged with aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, five counts of credit card fraud, theft, evading arrest, and two counts of possession of drugs. He is currently being held without bond.
Warrants charging Casteel with aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, five counts of credit card fraud and theft were sworn out this afternoon. Casteel is also wanted on three unrelated warrants.
Both suspect photos are being withheld pending lineups.
